[186] Gretzky was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in 2017. [241][242] Only McNall's name was engraved on the Grey Cup as team owner, but in November 2007, the CFL corrected the oversight, adding Gretzky's and Candy's names. [187], Almost immediately after retirement, several NHL teams approached Gretzky about an ownership role. Bidders for the club had indicated that Gretzky would no longer be associated with the team after it emerged from bankruptcy, and on September 24, 2009, Gretzky stepped down as head coach and head of hockey operations of the Coyotes. The NHL did not allow the signing of players under age 20, but the WHA had no rules regarding such signings. The experts voted Gretzky number one. Football wasn't even Trevor's best sport either - that . Walter Gretzky was the son of immigrants a Polish mother and Russian father who started a vegetable farm in 1932 in Canning, Ontario, just outside Brantford, on the Nith River, where Wayne . Like a magician, he had to direct attention elsewhere, to his four teammates on the ice with him, to create the momentary distraction in order to move unnoticed into the open ice where size and strength didn't matter. When the WHA folded, the Oilers joined the NHL, where he established many scoring records and led his team to four Stanley Cup championships. "[158] His weight was 160 pounds (73kg), compared to the NHL average of 189 pounds (86kg) at that time. [38] Skalbania sold Gretzky, Mio and Driscoll to Oilers owner Peter Pocklington, a former business partner. It's not God-given, it's Wally-given. [256], In 2017 as part-owner with Andrew Peller Ltd., Gretzky opened a winery and distillery bearing the name of Wayne Gretzky Estates in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, and with products labelled by the trademark, No. Me: "Get over there and intercept it." With a private gym in their home, it's easy for the fitness-focused couple to stay active. [168] This was how Gretzky avoided serious injuries despite being undersized and entering the NHL during its "rough and tumble time"; Gretzky noted that his contemporary Mike Bossy took a beating to score goals, which consequently led him to retire because his back took a beating. [40] The WHA All-Stars were coached by Jacques Demers, who put Gretzky on a line with his boyhood idol Gordie Howe and Howe's son, Mark. He earned Rookie of the Year honours in the Metro Junior B Hockey League in 197576, with 60points in 28games. I saw him do it night after night. [240], In 1991, McNall purchased the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL) with Gretzky and John Candy as minority owners. He used to stand on the blue line and say to me, "Watch, this is how everybody else does it." He scored 37points in 31games for the team in the regular season and the playoffs,[64] and the Blues came within one game of the Conference Finals. [28] With the third pick, the Sault Ste. Early years. [124] He recounted: My last game in New York was my greatest day in hockey Everything you enjoy about the sport of hockey as a kid, driving to practice with mom [Phyllis] and dad [Walter], driving to the game with mom and dad, looking in the stands and seeing your mom and dad and your friends, that all came together in that last game in New York. I didn't desert my country. Lemieux scored to win the tournament for Canada; the play is widely regarded as one of the most memorable plays in Canadian international competition. [171][172][173] The latter was traded with Gretzky in 1988 to the Los Angeles Kings, where he played the same policeman role for several more years. In addition, Gretzky tallied over 100points in 16 professional seasons, 14 of them consecutive. "Our family is thrilled to become the new guardians of this world-class hobby treasure." 96. . You saw him but when you reached out to grab him your hands felt nothing, maybe just a chill." The Oilers went on to win their fifth Cup (and first without Gretzky). [113] The 1997 playoff run was Gretzky's last as a player, and Rangers did not return to the playoffs until 2006, well after Gretzky retired. 36. He was nervous Edmonton would greet him with boos, but they were eagerly waiting for him. By the time Gretzky turned six, he was playing hockey alongside the teenagers in his locale. [34], Gretzky scored his first professional goal against Dave Dryden of the Edmonton Oilers[35] in his fifth game, and his second goal four seconds later. Here are just 14 things the family hopes remains on the DL so as not to tarnish the Gretzky family name. Most Goals in a Season (92) In the 1981-82 season, Gretzky broke Phil Esposito's record for goals in a season by amassing 92 over 80 games. He'd shoot it into the corner again, only this time he cut across to the other side and picked it up over there. [51] In the first game of the 1981 Stanley Cup playoffs, against the Montreal Canadiens, Gretzky had five assists, a single game playoff record. [121] At the time of his retirement, Gretzky was the second-to-last WHA player still active in professional hockey. He died March 4. "The Soviets and Gretzky changed the NHL game", says Dryden. [6], Gretzky was the top scorer in the 1978 World Junior Championships. "Gretzky" redirects here. Wayne's brothers Brent and Keith both had short-lived professional careers in hockey and his son, Trevor, was an impressive high school football quarterback who played on the same team as the sons of Will Smith and Joe Montana. [185] On May 10, 2010, he was awarded The Ambassador Award of Excellence by the LA Sports & Entertainment Commission. Me: "Peel." Trucking magnate and Arizona Diamondbacks part-owner Jerry Moyes was added to the partnership. Paulina Gretzky is starring in OVO's latest campaign alongside her father, Wayne Gretzky, and the rest of their family.. On Thursday, OVO, the Canadian fashion label established by hip-hop . His mom, Phyllis Gretzky, was born October 14, 1941 and passed away on December 19, 2005. [103] Finally, in early 1996, Gretzky requested a trade. [56] He won his second straight Hart Trophy. [145] Statistics support the contention: whereas Phil Esposito, who had set the previous goal-scoring record, needed 550 shots to score 76 goals, Gretzky netted his 76th after only 287 shotsabout half as many. "[76][78] The rule was reversed for the 199293 season. Gretzky was its captain from 1983 to 1988. [91] After the game, Gretzky took the opportunity to confirm his patriotism: "I'm still proud to be a Canadian. Wayne Douglas Gretzky is a Canadian former professional hockey player and former head coach from Brantford. While Skalbania knew it was unlikely the Racers would be one of these teams (in part because the WHA insisted that all of its surviving Canadian teams be included), he still hoped to keep the Racers alive long enough to collect compensation from the surviving teams when the WHA dissolved, as well as any funds earned from selling the young star. The family moved into a house on Varadi Avenue in Brantford seven months after Wayne was born, chosen partly because its yard was flat . [117] As the season wound down, there was media speculation that Gretzky would retire, but he refused to announce his retirement. Gretzky informed McNall that his prerequisites for a deal to take place were that Marty McSorley and Mike Krushelnyski join him as teammates in Los Angeles. [21] Gretzky said he would have voted Bobby Orr or Gordie Howe as the best of all time. [244] The pair also owned Thoroughbred race horses; one of them, Saumarez, won France's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in 1990. It was like running Gandhi into a corner. But I'm Canadian to the core. Gretzky's wedding to the then-Janet Jones was . In front of the net, eyeball to eyeball with the goaltender he will hold the puck one extra instant, upsetting the anticipated rhythm of the game, extending the moment. Wayne Douglas Gretzky was born on January 26, 1961, in Brantford, Ontario, the son of Phyllis Leone (Hockin) and Walter Gretzky. Dryden wrote in his book The Game, "In the past, defenders and teams had learned to devise strategies to stop opponents with the puck. Practicing for hours on end, it was here that a young Gretzky developed the skating, shooting and stickhandling techniques that appeared instinctive to so many over the course of his career. As you . He, almost alone among the Canadians, seemed to take to the larger ice surface as if it offered more opportunity instead of obligation His playing time soared, as he was being sent on not just for power plays but double shifts and even penalty kills. A family portrait of Wayne and Janet with kids Trevor, Paulina and Ty in 1997. . [45] Gretzky captured the Lou Kaplan Trophy as rookie of the year,[35] and helped the Oilers to first place in the league.[46]. [233] Trevor is a former minor league baseball player. Speaking of Paulina, she and golf player Dustin Johnson have been in a relationship since 2011. While they were using all this energy trying to rattle his teeth, he was just skating away, circling, analyzing things."[140]. [91] Large cheers erupted for his first shift, his first touch of the puck, his two assists, and Mark Messier's body check of Gretzky into the boards. Born in Brantford, Ontario in 1961, Wayne Gretzky learned to skate on a rink his father Walter built in the family's backyard. Skalbania offered to play a game of backgammon with Winnipeg owner Michael Gobuty, the stakes being if Gobuty won, he would get Gretzky and if he lost, he had to give Skalbania a share of the Jets. In 1977, he was the third pick in the midget draft for the Ontario Major . "[82], At the same time, Gretzky recognized the contributions of their coach in the success of the Oilers: "Under the guidance of Glen Sather, our Oiler teams became adept at generating speed, developing finesse, and learning a transition game with strong European influences."[83]. [219] In 1984, he travelled to the Soviet Union to film a television program on Russian goaltender Vladislav Tretiak. [189] The Coyotes were in the process of being sold and Ellman convinced Gretzky to come on board, averting a potential move to Portland, Oregon. [230], The couple have five children: Paulina, Ty, Trevor, Tristan, and Emma. Gretzky has made several TV appearances, including as a Dance Fever celebrity judge, and acted in a dramatic role alongside Victor Newman in The Young and the Restless in 1981. [180] In October 1999, Edmonton honoured Gretzky by renaming one of Edmonton's busiest freeways, Capilano Drivewhich passes by Northlands Coliseumto Wayne Gretzky Drive. Wayne Gretzky Wikipedia. [247] Forbes estimates that Gretzky made US$93.8million from 1990 to 1998. Paulina Gretzky, Wayne's Daughter, announced on Instagram that her and PGA Tour golfer Dustin Johnson are expecting their second child. Growing up, he was a competitive runner and also batted .492 for the Junior Intercounty Baseball League's Brantford CKCP Braves in the summer of 1980. [147] "There is an unhurried grace to everything Gretzky does on the ice. [66], The Edmonton Oilers finished first overall in their last WHA regular season. Gretzky became the youngest player to score 50goals, but was not eligible for the Calder Memorial Trophy, given to the top NHL rookie, because of his previous year of WHA experience. The Gretzkys are basically the royal family in Canada and they will be adding a new member to their family very soon. [71] Five times between 198182 and 198687, Gretzky led the NHL in goals scored. Gretzky said that he told his dad that he was a little embarrassed about breaking his idol's record, and in some ways he . [60] That year, Gretzky became the first hockey player and first Canadian to be named Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year. Walter Gretzky, the father of hockey great Wayne . [229] Broadcast live throughout Canada from Edmonton's St. Joseph's Basilica, members of the Fire Department acted as ceremonial guards. [48][49], Gretzky's success in the WHA carried over into the NHL, despite some critics suggesting he would struggle in what was considered the bigger, tougher and more talented league. The Edmonton alumni won the Megastars game 20,[215] while Montreal went on to win the regular season game held later that day, 43. [259][260][261][262] Gretzky has other restaurants opened in 2016 at the Edmonton International Airport and named No. [126], Leading up to the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, it was announced that NHL players would be eligible to play for the first time. By age two, Wayne was trying to score goals against Mary using a souvenir stick. [245] Gretzky was a board member and executive officer of the Hespeler Hockey Company. Wayne hails from a large family of five children. Wayne Douglas Gretzky is a renowned Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Walter Gretzky had been an outstanding Junior B hockey player. [144], He also had strong general athletic skills. In 1977, Wayne Gretzky joined the Soo Greyhounds as the third overall pick of the OHL draft. An extremely rare 1979 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky rookie has sold for $3.75 million in a private transaction, . [91] The arena was sold out, and the attendance of 17,503 was the Oilers' biggest crowd ever to that date. But now, if players without the puck skated just as hard as those with it, but faster, and dodged and darted to open ice just as determinedly, but more effectively, how did you shut them down? "Absolutely", Gretzky said. He made them skate to his level and pass and finish up to his level or they would be embarrassed. Gretzky made his opponents compete with five players, not one, and he made his teammates full partners to the game. [5][11] The couple married in 1960, and lived in an apartment in Brantford, where Walter worked for Bell Telephone Canada. At coach Muzz MacPherson's suggestion, Gretzky settled on 99.[30]. Wayne is married to American actress Janet Jones. The Kings refused, instead offering Jimmy Carson. [127] Canada finished with the bronze medal. [126], Gretzky's international career highlight arguably came three years later at the 1987 Canada Cup. Trevor signed with the Cubs the next month. "I went periodically," Gretzky said with a laugh back in 2018. Wayne Douglas Gretzky was born on January 26, 1961, in Brantford, Ontario. [112] After the 199697 season, Mark Messier signed a free agent contract with the Vancouver Canucks, ending the brief reunion of Messier and Gretzky after just one season. Walter Gretzky is survived by his five children Wayne, Kim, Keith, Glen and Brent as well as numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Gretzky led the tournament for the fourth and final time with 12 points in seven games. [35] The money was not enough to keep the Racers alive; they folded that December. He did not, however, compete in the final against the United States due to a back injury. He reached one milestone in this last season, breaking the professional total (regular season and playoffs) goal-scoring record of 1,071, which had been held by Gordie Howe. Paulina and Dustin's first child, Tatum Gretzky Johnson, was born just over two years . [72] The Oilers also won the Stanley Cup with Gretzky in 1985, 1987 and 1988. [129] Playing on a line with Pittsburgh Penguins' superstar Mario Lemieux, he recorded a tournament-best 21 points in nine games. Gretzky was named to the club on November 29, 1997. [248] He has endorsed and launched a wide variety of products, from pillow cases to insurance. [179] In addition, Gretzky's jersey number 99 was retired league-wide at the 2000 NHL All-Star Game, a decision inspired by Major League Baseball's retirement of the number 42 worn by Jackie Robinson. I got it from my Dad. Sep 10, 2021. "[148], Commentators have noted Gretzky's uncanny ability to judge the position of the other players on the iceso much so that many suspected he enjoyed some kind of extrasensory perception. [47] In exchange for agreeing to keep Gretzky off the draft board, the NHL placed Edmonton at the bottom of the draft order. Hall of Fame defenceman Bobby Orr said of Gretzky, "He passes better than anybody I've ever seen. Wayne and Walter Gretzky take Ron MacLean on a tour of the legendary family home in Brantford, Ontario. Nevertheless, to avoid any potential for litigation over the validity of Gretzky's personal services contract the Oilers were allowed to keep the young star on their roster as one of their priority selections. Advertisement. Gretzky's professional relationship with Keenan was thus never particularly warm, and the coach's public rebukes effectively ended any realistic prospect of Gretzky remaining in St. Louis once he became a free agent. Gretzky captured nine Hart Trophies as the most valuable player, 10 Art Ross Trophies for most points in a season, two Conn Smythe Trophies as playoff MVP and five Lester B. Pearson Awards (now called the Ted Lindsay Award) for most outstanding player as judged by his peers. Wayne Gretzky is a Canadian-born retired professional hockey player and entrepreneur who has a net worth of $250 million. [210] Due to BC Place being an indoor stadium, and Olympic protocols stating that the lighting of the cauldron should be visible to the public, Gretzky was then escorted out of the stadium to light a second, outdoor cauldron outside the Vancouver Convention Centre, making him the de facto final torchbearer. Let the puck do all the moving and you get yourself in the right place. Then he'd shoot a puck along the boards and into the corner and then go chasing after it. March 5, 2021 at 12:02 p.m. EST. Brantford further inducted Gretzky into its "Walk of Fame" in 2004. Sports commentators said that he played like he had "eyes in the back of his head. Wayne Douglas Gretzky CC (/rtski/ GRET-skee; born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. [173][174] But Gretzky discouraged unfair hits in another way. Wayne Gretzky, in full Wayne Douglas Gretzky, byname the Great One, (born January 26, 1961, Brantford, Ontario, Canada), Canadian ice hockey player who was considered by many to be the greatest player in the history of the National Hockey League (NHL). [126] However, Gretzky was passed over for the captaincy, along with several other Canadian veterans including Steve Yzerman and Ray Bourque in favour of the younger Eric Lindros. The league, which at one point iced fourteen teams, was down to seven surviving franchises. [16] Additionally, Walter gave the advice to "skate where the puck's going, not where it's been". In his autobiography, Gretzky describes how at practices his father would drill him on the fundamentals of smart hockey: Him: "Where's the last place a guy looks before he passes it?" Wayne will be forever regarded as the greatest of all-time at his craft. Wayne Gretzky of the Los Angeles Kings at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, Calif., October 10, 1989. . He scored his all-time record of 92 goals with just 369 shots. [238] During his ownership, the team's colours were changed to silver and black, presaging the change in team jersey colours when he played for the Los Angeles Kings. . [177] The Hall of Fame then announced that he would be the last player to do so. [280] The Lady Byng Trophy, awarded for sportsmanship and performance, was presented to Gretzky five times between 1980 and 1999. Since the Order ceremonies are always held during the hockey season, it took 13years and 7monthsand two Governors Generalbefore he could accept the honour. [277] Between 1981 and 1994, he won the Art Ross Trophy, presented to the NHL's season points leader, 10 times. [267] His most recent work, 99: Stories of the Game (2016), with Kirstie McLellan Day, was an in-depth look at the history of hockey. Me: "The guy he's passing to." The Oshawa Generals picked Tom McCarthy first, and the Niagara Falls Flyers picked Steve Peters second overall. Wayne Gretzky . "[153], Gretzky also credits his coach at the Edmonton Oilers, Glen ("Slats") Sather, as an important influence in his development as a hockey player. The following year, as a 1516-year-old, he had 72points in 32games with the same team, renamed the Seneca Nationals. Former Edmonton Oilers forward Wayne Gretzky greets fans during the closing ceremonies on April 6, 2016, at Rexall Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (Getty Images) Wayne Gretzky. Together, they have two children, Tatum and River Johnson. [203] His temper boiled over after Canada's 33draw versus the Czech Republic, as he launched a tirade against the perceived negative reputation of Team Canada amongst other national squads, and called rumours of dissent in the dressing room the result of "American propaganda". [42], On Gretzky's 18th birthday, January 26, 1979, Pocklington signed him to a 10-year personal services contract (the longest in hockey history at the time) worth C$3million, with options for 10 more years. He is in the NHL Hall of Fame, and is widely considered one of the greatest hockey players ever. On November 2, Gretzky, goaltender Eddie Mio and forward Peter Driscoll were put on a private plane, not knowing where they would land and what team they would be joining. [209] During the Games' opening ceremony, Gretzky, basketball player Steve Nash, skier Nancy Greene, and speed skater Catriona Le May Doan jointly lit the Olympic cauldron inside the ceremony venue of BC Place. It's a piece of frozen real estate that's just in between the defense and the forward. [16] On the backyard rink, nicknamed the "Wally Coliseum", winter was total hockey immersion with Walter as mentor-teacher as well as teammate. Walter Gretzky was the son of immigrants - a Polish mother and Russian father - who started a vegetable farm in 1932 in Canning, Ont., just outside Brantford, on the Nith River, where Wayne . [279] In addition, he earned the Lester B. Pearson Award (now Ted Lindsay Award) on five occasions; the award is given to the NHL's "most outstanding player", as determined by National Hockey League Players' Association members. Introduction. [246], Gretzky's appeal as a product endorser far surpassed that of other hockey players of his era. Gretzky clung to life for 21 days, with his family sitting with him, similar to how he fought after numerous other debilitating health complications over the years. With a career spanning more than two decades, he holds a handful of the NHL's most notable records. The Trade, as it is known in all sports circles, was the deal that sent Wayne Gretzky from Edmonton to Los Angeles just after the Oilers won another Stanley Cup. Walter Gretzky, the father of NHL Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky , died at the age of 82 after suffering from Parkinson's disease as well as other health issues, the family announced. [285] The Edmonton Minor Hockey Association also has an award named for Gretzky. Walter's drills were his own invention, and were ahead of their time in Canada. The same success was not immediate when they joined the NHL, but within four seasons, the Oilers were competing for the Stanley Cup. [146], Veteran Canadian journalist Peter Gzowski wrote that Gretzky seemed to be able to slow down time. Gretzky's trade to the Los Angeles Kings on August 9, 1988, had an immediate impact on the team's performance, ultimately leading them to the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals, and he is credited with popularizing hockey in California. "He was improvising all the time. Marie Greyhounds selected Gretzky, even though Walter Gretzky had told the team Wayne would not move to Sault Ste. "[164] His stamina is also indicated by the fact that Gretzky often scored late in the game. [159] But that year, Gretzky tied for first place in scoring, and won the Hart Trophy for the league's most valuable player. The eldest sibling, Wayne is an ice hockey legend who needs little introduction. The Wayne Gretzky International Award is presented by the United States Hockey Hall of Fame to honour international individuals who have made major contributions to the growth and advancement of hockey in the United States. [69], Gretzky was named an officer of the Order of Canada on June 25, 1984, for outstanding contribution to the sport of hockey. [74] Amid growing concern around the NHL that a financial institution might be able to lay claim to Gretzky's rights in the event the heavily leveraged Pocklington were to declare bankruptcy, as well as growing dissatisfaction on the part of Gretzky and his advisers, in 1987, Gretzky and Pocklington agreed to replace the personal services contract with a standard NHL contract. "I get a feeling about where a teammate is going to be", he said. [62] The Canadian Press also named Gretzky Newsmaker of the Year in 1982. Having debuted his ice hockey career at a very tender age, Wayne Gretzky played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League for four teams from 1979 to 1999. I moved because I was traded and that's where my job is. [122] Gretzky ended his career with a final point, assisting on the lone New York goal scored by Brian Leetch. He made an immediate impact on the ice, scoring on his first shot on goal in the first regular season game.

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